Oamaru Intermediate School pupils, from left, Leam Ryan
(12), Eli Hollis (13) and Thomas Waldron (13) try out their
solar filter sunglasses to watch next week's eclipse. Photo
by Andrew Ashton.
An Oamaru optometrist has stressed the need for correct
eye-protection as people prepare to watch this week's solar
eclipse.
Tomorrow, Oamaru and Dunedin will experience a partial
eclipse at 10.36am as the moon obscures the sun for about an
hour. To ensure that schools in Oamaru experience the event
safely, Visique Oamaru Eyecare donated $200 worth of solar
eclipse sunglasses to three schools in the area.
Following the donation, optometrist Dave Roberts last week
gave seminars to pupils at Oamaru Intermediate School,
Waitaki Boys' High School and Fenwick Primary School on how
to use the glasses, which were fitted with solar filters.
"You should never look at the sun without the correct
filters.
"This is really important during a solar eclipse; the sun
might be disappearing but you'll still be able to see its
powerful rays.
"Standard sunglasses simply won't cut the mustard."
Mr Roberts said another safe way to see the eclipse was to
use a magnifier or pinhole camera to focus the sun on to a
surface and view the eclipse indirectly.
The eclipse should not be viewed with the naked eye, Mr
Roberts said.
andrew.ashton@odt.co.nz
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